9 Months to Change
by dorkphish9
Summary: Harry and Draco are happy and in love. They share a good life after the Final War, but what happens when they both discover that Harry is pregnant? Can Draco prove to be a better father than Lucius? Read and find out! SLASH and MPREG
1. late night talks

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **this is a SLASH (boy/boy) story. it will contain nothing graphic, but if the mere idea of two men being together disturbs you, then don't read this! this will also be an MPREG story, so if you think that that wizards being pregnant is absurb, do NOT read this story. flames will not be tolerated because of people who don't bother to read the warnings! for all of those who do enjoy reading slash/mpreg stories, please read and enjoy! as well as review! XD

The old grandfather clock struck once, twice, three times, and then fell silent. Gray eyes darted to the clock's face and then back to the cluttered desk top in front of them. Pale hands ran their fingers through silky blonde hair as a perfect pink mouth opened up in a wide yawn.

'Merlin, is Harry gonna kill me,' the young man thought, quietly getting up from his desk chair and quickly straightening part of the mess laid out in front of him. Bank statements, store receipts, old photographs, and even a marriage certificate were all shuffled into a semi-neat pile and placed in the center of the mahogany wood.

The man's hands paused over a picture of two boys, both in their teens, arms wrapped around the other, smiles on their faces, so obviously in love. He could still remember exactly what had happened when that camera went of…

_The day had been pleasantly cool, a lovely late autumn day, the last of the leaves falling through the air which held the first hints of winter's frost. The two teens had been spending the afternoon together in a nearby park when he had first whispered those words to his boyfriend. "I love you, Harry." _

_When he looked down, his grey eyes meeting with deep emerald, he marveled at the beautiful smile that was adorning his lover's lips. They shared a deep, passionate kiss and Harry had whispered those same words, "I love you too, Draco."_

_They were both startled out of their embrace when a light flashed and a voice floated to them in the dyeing autumn air, "That was so sweet! I think I've got tears in my eyes!" The two boys turned to look at Hermione Granger, holding a camera in her small hands. "Hermione," a gruff voice softly scolded, "Leave them alone. They were having a 'moment'!" Beyond Hermione was her fiancé, Ron Weasley, his fingers still forming the air quotes symbol and a smile on his face._

_The next day, Ron had stopped by Draco's office at the Ministry and placed that picture, now developed and framed, on Draco's desk. Draco had been so captivated by the picture that he hardy noticed when Ron excused himself, then left._

Six years later and that same picture is still on Draco's desk. The one he was looking at, which was currently residing in a spot on his desk in his home office, was a copy he had one of the Creevey brothers make for him. Sure, it seemed a bit sentimental, maybe even 'disgustingly sweet" if he were to use Blaise's words, but he didn't mind. He and Harry were both happy and in love in that picture. Sure, they were still happy and in love right now, but things were not always that way. Especially when they first started dating. Draco shook his head at his thoughts and smiled softly. 'Those were some interesting times,' he thought fondly. He set the picture down softly and made his way out of his office and up the stairs. As he walked along the hallway, he passed many pictures. Pictures of himself, of Harry, of the both of them, and many of their friends: Hermione, Blaise, Ron, Neville, Seamus, Pansy, Theo, and a few others. There were even a few random portraits of Remus and Severus; his godfather hated taking pictures, but somehow the werewolf always managed to drag him to a studio to get them done.

Draco pulled himself from his musing when he found that he was standing at his bedroom door. The blonde stared down at his feet and then back along the way he had come. He didn't even remember the walk up here, he had been so deep in thought. 'I've got some pretty smart feet,' he thought absently, easing the door open so as not to disturb his sleeping lover. He stepped quietly into the dim room and eased the door shut behind him. He looked towards the bed; what he saw made him breathless.

Laying on top of their black silk sheets, was 5 feet and 11 inches of the most flawless, olive skinned man you could ever dream of having. The man's black hair, normally ruffled during the day, was made even messier by sleep. The gems that were his eyes were hidden behind closed lids, but if they had been opened, one would find themselves staring into deep green depths, seemingly lost within all those eyes hold. His red lips were parted in a slight 'o'; Draco could almost hear his lover's breaths in the quiet room. His grey eyes watched as Harry's toned stomach hypnotically rose up and down with every inhale and exhale he took. Draco's eyes traveled south, following the trail of dark hair that disappeared underneath a pair of black boxers.

Almost unconsciously, the blonde's feet started moving, taking Draco closer to the god that was lying in his bed. After stripping down to his underwear, he slipped into the bed and softly traced the outline of Harry's cheek. Placing a soft kiss on the tanned forehead, he gathered the sleeping man in his arms. "I love you," he whispered softly. As he laid his head back onto his pillow, he heard a soft 'I love you too, 'Co."

Harry shifted and propped his head on Draco's chest, gaining a better view of his blonde boyfriend's face. His green eyes shifted past Draco's face to the nightstand, or more precisely, to the clock on the nightstand. When his eyes settled back onto the other man, they held a slightly accusatory glint. "Care to tell me _why_ you're just coming up to bed at 3:10 in the morning?"

Draco shifted underneath his imp of a boyfriend; his stomach was pressing down just hard enough on little Draco and it was causing some _growing_ problems. "Well, Harry love, you know how I got all of those documents from my father's lawyers…"

"Yes, I know that. After you're parents died, the lawyers dealt with all of the estates and other lawer-y things," Harry gave a quick kiss to the stomach below him and went on. "But you got all of those things last week. You can't still be going through them!" Harry watched as his lover's grey eyes darkened slightly and his red lips turned down into a small frown.

"I know I've had the things for awhile. And I know that I've been procrastinating about it, but…" Draco found Harry's hand and twined their fingers together. Studying the contrast his pale skin made against Harry's olive tone, he continued, "It's hard. It's really hard. I know me and my father never got along, especially after we took different sides in the Final War, but he was still my father. I think I miss him."

Harry brought their entwined hands to his mouth and kissed Draco's hand softly. "It's perfectly all right to miss him Draco. Him and your mother, as well. I'll help you go through the rest of the papers tomorrow, if you want?"

Draco shot a small smile towards Harry. "That sounds great, love. So…I'm not in trouble am I?" Harry tilted his head to the side and thought for a second.

"Oh, no worries. You are," Harry shot a wicked grin at him and winked. "I just have to think about a suitable punishment." A shiver ran through Draco's spine; little Draco was definitely a big problem now. He shot a look towards the man on top of him; did he notice? Harry shifted and pressed down a bit before grinning in a mischievous way. Damn imp; he did know. "How 'bout I help make you forget your troubles, eh?"

"I'm definitely up for that," Draco grinned, pulling Harry up to meet him in a scorching kiss.

"I…can…tell," Harry said between kisses. Those would be the last coherent words coming from both men for the next couple hours.

**A/N: **what did you think? send me a review and let me know! this chapter was a little short, but the next three are already written and are awaiting their scattered brained author to put them up!


	2. mood swings

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** the lyrics in the beginning of this chapter are from a Jack Johnson song called "Banana Pancakes". It's a good song and I'm happy that I found a place for it in my story. Yay!

The morning dawned bright and beautiful and to all those who were awake, they were treated to a stunning array of deep reds, transparent pinks, dusky oranges, and soft yellows. This visual feast was lost however on one young blonde wizard who simply murmured in his sleep and turned over, keeping a tight hold on the slowly wakening black haired man who was laying next to him.

Sleepy green eyes slowly opened and squinted to see in the murky half light of dawn. Although the young savior marveled at the beauty of a new day, he was even more struck by the beauty of the man lying next to him. Soft blonde hair spread out on the pillow, forming a sort of halo around Draco's face. Harry tucked an errant strand behind the other man's ear and smiled softly as the sleeping man gave a slight shiver and scooted closer to him. His tanned hand traced the pale neck of his lover and ran his fingers lightly across his chest, slowly circling the pink nipples that were hardened by the cold morning air.

Despite his almost desperate urge to wake the other wizard just to earn a quick peek at the man's soft gray eyes, Harry settle himself back down into Draco's arms and was about to drift off to sleep when the sudden need to vomit overwhelmed him. Slipping out of his boyfriend's hold as gently as he could, Harry left the warm bed and fast walked into the bathroom, locking the door and throwing out a silence barrier before letting loose last night's dinner into the white porcelain toilet.

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

Draco woke up a few hours later to a fully risen sun and an empty bed. He opened his eyes but shut them again quickly when the bright sunlight burned into his eyes. Opening them for a second time, more cautiously, the blonde man looked around the room, searching for his missing lover. He felt the space on the bed next to him and noticed that it was slightly warm. 'He couldn't have gotten up too long ago.'

Draco dragged himself out of bed and stretched, his mouth opening up in a wide yawn. For the first time in a while, he felt like he had gotten a full night's rest. Things had been kind of hectic at the Ministry lately and Draco had practically been forced to work late into the night and go back early in the morning.

Hopefully, now that things had been slowing down, he'd be able to spend more time at home with Harry; something that he knew that the ex-Gryffindor would appreciate greatly. Draco smiled; he was lucky that Harry was a very patient and understanding person. He glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand and his fingers paused mid-scratch, hand frozen in his nether regions. No wonder he felt like he had a full night's rest! It was 11 o'clock in the morning!

"BLOODY FUCKING HELL!!" Draco yelled and was instantly moving. He ran to the bathroom, barely taking time to notice the faintly acidic smell hanging in the air. "HARRY! HARRY POTTER! WHY IN MERLIN'S NAME DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP?!?!" Draco flew out of the bathroom, his hair wet and a drop of tooth paste in the corner of his mouth. He threw open the closet door and was about to bellow out to Harry again when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his chest, pining his arms to his side, and effectively stilling their motion. He heard a soft chuckle in his ear and felt Harry's warm lips pressing against the spot just behind his ear.

"Relax, love. Calm down. You'll give yourself a panic attack if you keep going on like this."

Draco frowned and fought his way out of Harry's arms. With narrowed eyes, he turned around and pinned his boyfriend down with a glare. "Why didn't you wake me up, Harry? Now I'm going to be really late for work!" Shooting another glare at his amused lover, he turned back to the closet and started pushing hangers around.

"Draco, I did try waking you up, but you weren't having any of it." Harry slipped his arms around his boyfriend again and gently pulled him away from the closet. "So when I realized that you weren't going to be waking up for another few hours I owled the Ministry and said you were sick." Harry said with a shrug and started straightening up the bed.

"What possessed you to do that!?! What were you thinking!?!?! I'm a senior officer! I can't just skip a day of work!" Draco knew that he should be grateful for this day off, but he had responsibilities he had to uphold. It wasn't like with Harry's Quidditch team, where there were alternates to take your place if you were gone!

"I was thinking," Harry said quietly, but with an edge to it that made Draco stop mentally ranting and look sharply at him, watching as he continued to make up the bed. "I was thinking that my boyfriend has been working himself to an early grave. I was thinking that my boyfriend has been spending more time at work than at home. I was thinking that maybe my _boyfriend_ and I would be able to spend a nice quiet day together since we haven't been able to do that for quite some time!" Harry finally finished with the bed and straightened, looking Draco straight in the eye. "How does all of that sound to you, eh?"

Draco swallowed and nodded his head, "Yeah that sounds good to me, love."

Harry smiled suddenly and gave Draco a quick kiss on the lips. "Good. Come down to the kitchen as soon as you freshen up, k? I'm making pancakes!" After giving Draco another quick kiss, Harry left the room, humming a small tune under his breath.

The blonde man was left standing in the middle of the room, a dress shirt hanging limply in his hand and his mouth slack with shock. 'What in the world was THAT about?' Draco dropped his shirt and pinched his arm. Wincing from the pain, he slowly rubbed his arm and shook his head. So, that had actually happened; he hadn't just been having a weird dream. What had triggered Harry like that? One second he was pissed beyond belief, the next he was as happy as he had been when his team had won the Cup last year. Picking up his shirt and hanging it back up, Draco wondered about his apparently mental boyfriend. 'Just when you think you know a guy…' he thought randomly, entering the bathroom, the acid smell once again barely registering in his mind.

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

Face washed, hair combed, legs clad in a fresh pair of pajama pants, Draco Malfoy made his way downstairs, breathing in deeply the smell of fresh pancakes and brewing coffee. Stopping just inside of the kitchen doorway, Draco smiled; crazy or not, he loved his boyfriend. Inside the kitchen, dressed in only a pair of bright blue boxer briefs and an unbuttoned black shirt, hair still mussed up from sleep, stood Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, happily flipping pancakes and singing along to the radio.

"You hardly even notice when I try to show you this song's meant to keep you from doing what supposed to," Harry slid a pancake onto a stack on the counter and poured some more batter into the pan, all the while swaying his hips to the music and tapping out the beat with his foot. "Like waking up too early, maybe we could sleep; I'll make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now."

Harry gave a little spin and dropped the pitcher into the sink and turned the tap on, letting the water rinse off some of the excess batter. Turning off the water, he turned back towards the stove but stopped when he heard Draco's soft clapping. He looked over at Draco and smiled sweetly at him. He sauntered over to the blonde, while softly crooning along with the song. "Telephone singing, ringing, it's too early, don't pick it up, we don't need to. We got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough," Harry leaned in and gave Draco a soft kiss on the lips, wrapping his arms loosely around the taller man's waist, "It's just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms." The amateur singer lightly squeezed the other's hips and Draco rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's obvious meaning. Gryffindor's were known for their occasional sentimentality, even the ones that were almost sorted into Slytherin!

Harry smirked and swatted Draco's bum. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, Malfoy! I know you secretly enjoy my sappiness." He made his way back to the stove and quickly flipped the pancake.

Draco clicked off the radio then plopped himself down on one of the kitchen chairs and studied his boyfriend. He was definitely still in the cheery mood from earlier, but how much longer would that last? He was pulled away from his musing when Harry started placing the food on the table. He pushed back his chair and walked over to the coffee pot, taking their favorite mugs from the dish strainer along the way. Within a few minutes, both men had breakfast laid out on the table, their mouths watering at the smell.

"This smells fantastic, Harry! I'm suddenly very hungry," Draco said, sitting down in his chair and pouring syrup all over his stack of pancakes. He looked over at Harry, who was looking warily at the syrup waterfall now cascading down onto the blonde's plate. Draco set the bottle down and looked closely at the man opposite him. Was it just him, or did Harry look a bit pale?

"Harry?" Draco asked, still watching his boyfriend closely. Harry Potter was well known for sugarcoating his own ailments in an attempt to not trouble anyone. The man could have half of his leg torn off and he'd still insist that everything was 'fine, perfectly fine, nothing to worry about.'

Harry shook himself lightly and returned Draco's gaze with a small reassuring smile. "I'm fine, love. Eat your pancakes. Don't they smell good?"

Draco snorted. "Somehow your reassurances aren't soothing my nerves, Harry love. What's wrong?"

Harry eyed Draco's syrup-soaked pancakes again, took a deep breath, and tried to answer. "Seriously, Draco, I'm perfectly…" Harry trailed off and suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth. He jumped up, his chair clattering to the floor, and rushed to the downstairs bathroom. Draco looked after his retreating boyfriend, and then he looked down at his plate and took a deep breath. Nothing smelled that bad to him…

Thoroughly puzzled, Draco stood and made his way to the bathroom. Once he got there he was assaulted with the smell of regurgitated stomach acid which made his own stomach roll. Harry looked so pathetic kneeling on the floor, clinging to the toilet, helplessly trying to throw up his own stomach. He ran a washcloth through cool water and wrung it out just as Harry pushed away from the gleaming white bowl and propped himself against the wall. Draco gently wiped the sweat from his boyfriend's forehead and folded the cloth so the coldest part was resting against his tanned neck. He carefully reached around the sick man and flushed the toilet, letting the lid slam as he settled himself next to Harry.

"Care to explain that little performance, 'Ry?" Draco asked, looking around the room with a thoughtful expression on his face. Something was tugging at the back of his mind. Something in this room was familiar, but what? His attention was drawn back to the situation on hand when Harry laid his head on Draco's shoulder and heaved a big sigh.

"That was nothing, 'Co. Something just didn't agree with me, I guess."

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Harry, you didn't even get the chance to eat anything. How could something disagree with you?"

"Well, there you have it, then! I just need to eat something, and then I'll feel better." Harry straightened and pulled himself up. Leaning heavily on the counter, he turned the taps on and splashed some water on his face. Draco watched him absently, trying to remember some lost fact. Suddenly it him. The smell! This acidic smell! It had been in the master bathroom this morning when he was rushing around! He stared hard at Harry, who was drying his face off on a hand towel.

Standing up, Draco turned his boyfriend to face him. "That's bullshit, Harry. You threw up earlier this morning! I know you did. I smelt it when I got up, but I didn't make the connection till now!"

"Okay, Draco, you got me," Harry admitted, gripping the towel tightly in his hands. His face was losing color as the seconds passed, and Draco was growing increasingly more worried. What was going on? "I threw up this morning. I've got a little stomach flu. I'll just grab a potion off Severus and I'll be as healthy as a hippogryph." Harry turned towards the towel rack, but stopped suddenly when the bathroom tilted sharply to the left. He felt strong arms wrap around him and Draco's anxious voice sounded in his ear.

"Harry, something is not right with you. This can't just be some little stomach flu." Draco laid a pale hand on the other man's forehead and gasped. "You're running a fever, 'Ry. You're so dizzy you can barely stand and now you're throwing up!" He wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and another around his shoulder and supported him as they walked out into the hallway. "I'm taking you to St. Mungo's. I don't care what you say," he said firmly, leading Harry towards the living room.

Ignoring Harry's weak protests, he lowered him to a couch and went quickly upstairs for some clothes. Running down the stairs, he slipped his shirt on and helped Harry into a pair of track pants. Pulling Harry up off the couch, Draco slipped a pair of shoes on the shorter man's feet and then toed his own into a pair of beat up trainers. He threw a pinch of green powder into the fireplace, stepped in, and yelled out, "St. Mungo's!" A whirl of flames, and then they were gone.


	3. st mungo's

When Harry and Draco tumbled out of the fireplace, they saw that the waiting room was packed full of people. Draco surveyed the room grimly and, tightening his hold on Harry, he pushed his way to the front of the Welcome Desk. The receptionist, an annoyed looking middle-aged witch, with frizzy dyed blonde hair, looked up into Draco's anxious face and gave an irritated huff.

"Look, pal. I don't know who you think you are, but you gotta wait in line like everybody else," She pointed one long red fingernail towards the long line behind the distressed blonde. Said blonde looked over his shoulder, then back at the witch giving her his own irritated snort.

"Bugger the line, woman! Harry Potter is sick. He needs a doctor now!" Draco tightened his hold around his boyfriend's waist and maneuvered his head to rest on his shoulder. The witch's brown eyes widened when she realized that the faint-looking wizard was indeed Harry Potter. Draco heard Harry starting to protest and quickly shushed him. He knew that his modest boyfriend hated throwing his name around, but Draco never had a problem with it, especially in emergencies like this, or if there just happened to be one last pair of Gucci sunglasses screaming, "Draco, buy me!"

The receptionist tapped a button on her desk and a floating chair came out of a side room. "Could you put Mr. Potter in the chair, Mr…" The receptionist looked at Draco questioningly as the man lowered the ill Harry Potter into the seat.

"It's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," Draco said, standing up straight and smoothing his hair back.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, this chair will lead both of you back towards a reception room where one of the Medi-Witches will collect your information." With those final words, the witch tapped her wand on the chair. "I hope you'll be feeling better soon, Mr. Potter!" the woman gushed. Harry simply gave her a small smile as the chair floated off down the hallway with Draco close behind him.

While waiting for a gurney and two doctors to pass, Harry turned to look at the man behind him. "You know I don't like that, Draco."

Feigning ignorance, Draco replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Harry love."

"You throwing my name around! I don't like all that extra attention and you know it!" Harry huffed, crossing his arms in his chest and slouching in his chair.

Draco could tell that his boyfriend was entering his earlier foul mood and gently squeezed the annoyed savior's shoulder. "It worked, didn't it? We're going to see the doctor now, right?"

Before Harry could say anything, though, they arrived at the reception room and were greeted by a young smiling Medi-Witch carrying a clip board. After about fifteen minutes, in which Harry was questioned about his symptoms, medical history, and even his sex life, they were left to wait for Medi-Wizard Goldwright. Harry smiled softly watching two little boys playing with colorful plastic blocks in the corner of the room. The peaceful mood was ruined however when he felt Draco's heated gaze on the back of his head.

"Look, Draco. I told you I was sorry. I just didn't want you worrying." Harry turned to look pleadingly into his lover's heated grey eyes.

"I can't believe that you've been throwing up for the past three weeks, Harry! I can't believe that you didn't tell me, that you kept it a secret!" Draco hissed, turning away from Harry and glaring at the white wall opposite them.

"Well, it's not like you were around to notice, huh? Even if I had wanted to tell you, if I had wanted to worry you, you wouldn't have been around!" Harry crossed his arms and glared at the same wall. The air between them was silent and thick with tension. Draco suddenly huffed and checked his watch.

"Where is that bloody doctor?" Draco asked petulantly, though he wasn't really expecting an answer.

'The hospital's really packed right now, 'Co. He'll get here eventually, all right?" Harry said soothingly. Deep down, he really didn't want to fight with his boyfriend; he had other things on his mind. He reached over and held Draco's hand.

"I know, love. I just want to get all this figured out." Draco leaned his forearms on his knees and held tightly to Harry's hand.

"Look, Draco. Why don't you go down to the kitchen and get something to eat? You're too tense and you're starting to make me nervous." Harry said, running the fingers of his free hand through soft blonde hair.

"No, I don't want to leave you. I'll wait, yeah?" Draco said, looking up and meeting his love's deep green eyes. Harry leaned forward and pressed his lips to the blonde's forehead.

"Go on, love. Just go down, get us some coffee, okay? Take, like, ten or twenty minutes to calm down, all right?" Harry squeezed the pale hand within his own when it looked like Draco was going to interrupt. "I know you want to stay for support, but with you being all tense and annoyed, it isn't helping. Just go down and get some coffee; it's actually starting to sound pretty good." He tilted his head to the side and pretended to ponder on some thought. "Though, I doubt it would be as good as the stuff we've got back home."

Draco let out a little chuckle and stood up. "All right, 'Ry. I'll go get us some coffee." He leaned down and shared a quick kiss with his boyfriend. He walked to the door and turned back towards Harry. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere!" Harry laughed. Draco waved and shot him one last smile before he left the room. The ex-Gryffindor settled back into his floating chair and let out a little sigh. 'Nothing to do but wait,' he thought to himself. He leaned his head back and only had his eyes closed for a second when he heard a deep voice call his name. He opened his eyes and saw a tall robust black man, standing a few feet from him wearing white wizarding robes.

Harry smiled, "Medi-Wizard Goldwright?"

"The one and only!" the man laughed. "How 'bout we take you to my office and figure out what's going on, eh?"

"Sounds like a plan." Harry sat up and the chair floated forward. "Lead the way!"

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

Draco quickly made his way back to the reception room holding two large cups of hot coffee. He was pretty sure that Harry had meant for him to drink his while he was gone, but oh well. The blonde ministry official couldn't keep himself away any longer; too much time spent alone would have ensured that the pale man would come up with dreadful thoughts, thoughts about Harry dieing, about himself having to live the rest of his life alone…Draco shook himself as roughly as he could with the coffee in his hands. 'Harry will be fine, Malfoy. Pull yourself together. No one is going to be dieing anytime soon,' he scolded himself. Draco pushed open the slightly ajar door and walked into a Harry-free room. Looking around, he spotted the same witch they had talked with earlier.

Setting the coffees on a table, he walked up to the woman and tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, do you know where Mr. Potter went? He sent me out for some coffee and he isn't here now." Draco gestured vaguely towards the two cups of steaming coffee.

The witch's face brightened with a smile when she recognized who was talking to her. "Oh, I remember you. You were here earlier with Mr. Potter!" Draco nodded and she continued. "Medi-Wizard Goldwright took him to his office, which is straight down this hall, room 7, k?" Draco gave her a polite smile and quickly thanked her, grabbed the coffee, and made his way to room 7.

When he arrived, the white door with a painted on gold '7' was open a couple of inches and he could see Harry sitting on a table and apparently alone. On closer inspection, Draco noticed the tear tacks on his lover's olive skin and the blonde immediately pushed through the door, abandoning the cups on a nearby counter. Harry had looked up startled when the door slammed opened and was now staring down at the death grip his boyfriend had on his hands.

"Harry, Harry. What is it? What did the doctor say? Harry?!? Talk to me! What's wrong?" Draco was nearly hysterical with fright. All of his previous dark thoughts of Harry dieing were coming back, crowding into the forefront of his mind. 'No, no, nonononono,' he thought desperately. 'Harry can't die, he can't be sick.'

His thoughts stopped instantly when he saw Harry take a deep breath. He looked into his lover's wet green eyes, desperately trying to see into his soul, but not able to get past the tears. His grip tightened when he saw Harry's mouth open. Draco braced himself for the worst.


	4. shopping

**Author's Note:** hey, everybody!! thank you sooooo much for your patience!! you guys are awesome! real life has been really really hectic, but i kept at it...and now you have a brand new chapter!!! so, i think that i am going to need a beta pretty soon...anyone interested? my beta's gotta be pretty patient as well as all of the other beta qualities! so, i hope you guys read and enjoy! and review...

Harry took a deep breath and looked at Draco's bent head.

"Draco…" The other man's head shot up upon hearing his voice and his grey eyes were trained on watery green ones. "Draco, I'm pregnant!" With that said Harry threw his arms around Draco's shoulders and hugged him tight, happy tears once again making their way down his cheeks.

The stunned man shook his head slowly as if trying to get water out of his ears. "You-you're pregnant?" he asked, not entirely able to wrap his mind around this new development. This had been the last thing he would have expected his lover to tell him.

Harry beamed at him and nodded his head vigorously. "Yes! I've always wanted a family, you know that. But I wrote it off because of the fact that I'm, like, gay, but now I'm pregnant!" Harry pushed himself off the table and pulled Draco to his feet. When he realized that the blonde man still had not said anything, he looked worriedly the ex-Slytherin's eyes. "Is that o-okay, 'Co? I know we've never talked about even adopting a kid, so I know this must be a surpr…" The pregnant savior's words were cut off when strong arms picked him up and whirled him around in a circle.

"You're pregnant! We're going to have a baby!" Draco crowed happily setting a slightly dizzy Harry Potter back onto his feet. "Do you know what this means, Harry love?"

"It means that for the next several months I'll be going through hormonal hell?"

"No, you crazy loon! I'm going to be a father!" Draco hugged his boyfriend tight against him and he could feel tears starting to spill onto his pale cheeks. "I promise you, love; I'm going to be the best father that's ever been. I swear to you that I will be!" He placed a kiss on top of the messy mop below his chin. Standing there in the middle of room 7 with Harry tight in his arms, something occurred to the blonde. "Harry, how could this have happened?"

"What do you mean?" Harry pulled away slightly and studied Draco's face closely. "Are you having second thoughts about this? Because if you are, we need to talk now, Draco. You can't keep something like that from me."

Shaking his head, Draco protested. "That isn't what I meant, 'Ry. What I mean is, physically, how could this have happened? I know that sometimes there are magically powerful male _purebloods_ that can become pregnant and of course there are male fertility potions that a person could use…but you don't fall under either of those categories!"

"Actually, I kinda do, love." Harry mumbled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "When the medi-wizard examined me, he said that he found traces of a male fertility potion in my blood. Then he figured that I must be about a month along in my pregnancy and that's when I realized what happened…"

"Well, what happened?" Draco held the pregnant man at arm's length, the better to watch him squirm in embarrassment. "What'd you do?" There was nothing he loved more than watching Harry Potter embarrassed, even before, when they had been rivals. Back then, it had been out of jealousy, but now Draco just found it endearing.

"Ummm, you see, it's like this. About a month ago, Fred and George had that party to celebrate the opening of their new store. And remember, we came back all drunk and everything?"

Draco nodded once. "Yes, I do remember. I think the twins still have that picture of me and that garden gnome framed and on their wall."

Harry smiled. "I love that picture! Anyways, the next morning, I was due to have brunch with Hermione and Ginny at Hogwarts and you _know _how they get when they find out one of us have gotten piss drunk, so on my way to 'Mione's office I stopped by the dungeons and kinda _swipedoneofthepotionsfromSnape'scabinet_…."

After a second of processing the green eyed man's mumblings, Draco smirked. "You took a potion from Sev's cabinet and it turned out to be a male fertility potion. That's genius, Harry! He is so going to murder you in your sleep when he finds out!" He let go of the other man and clutched his sides in laughter; though the laughter died out quickly when Harry smacked the blonde upside the head. 'And there are the mood swings,' Draco thought, rubbing the back of his head and scowling at his boyfriend.

"I thought that it was a hangover potion. He usually keeps it there, but he must have rearranged it. Besides, you wouldn't let him kill the father of your child, would you?"

"You do have point, I guess," Draco said, pretending to think, "I think I could hold him off till _after_ the baby is born, though." When Harry raised his hand to deliver another blow, the taller man quickly grabbed it and pulled him in for a kiss. "I love you, Harry Potter."

Green eyes looked into his happily and red lips parted in a big smile. "I love you too, Draco Malfoy. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

"So, is there any special information we need to know?" Draco asked as they walked along the busy London sidewalk. After leaving room 7, both men decided that a visit to Diagon Alley was in order. So, after making a quick trip to their house for a change of clothes, they took to the packed English streets, with Harry fighting to keep a big smile under control and Draco keeping a close eye on the black-haired man.

Harry shrugged. "Medi-Wizard Goldwight assured me that male pregnancies were basically the same as a woman's, except for the delivery. Apparently, the male fertility potion only provides the inner workings, like the egg and womb, so since I don't have any female parts down there…."

"Thank Merlin, Mordred, _and_ Morgan for that," Draco shuddered.

"I'll have to undergo surgery to deliver the baby," Harry finished, smiling at his boyfriend.

"Well that's good news for you then; you won't have to deal with the labor pains," Draco said, pulling Harry close to him as a man on roller blades glided by. They both ignored the pair of old women scowling at their obvious intimacy and turned down a street.

"Actually, it all depends on the man in question. When you consider my luck when it comes to painful things, I'm going to be experiencing them," Harry explained. Both men walked on in silence until they reached the Leaky Cauldron. Draco opened the door and bowed his laughing boyfriend through. The door shut softly behind them as they walked past the bar, both nodding at Tom as they went.

"So," Harry said as they entered the small courtyard, "What exactly are we going to be doing in Diagon Alley?"

"Well," Draco replied, taking out his wand, "I figured we could have some lunch and do a little celebratory shopping." The blonde man counted three up and two across then tapped the brick three times. "There's this amazing cauldron set at the Apothecary that I've had my eye on. It comes with a fully equipped potions kit."

Harry rolled his eyes and gently nudged his boyfriend as the archway opened up. "Any excuse to go shopping, eh love?"

Draco winked saucily and stepped out onto the cobblestone pathway, keeping his arm tight around his lover's slim waist. "Of course, Harry love."

After a quick lunch at the new deli, the couple stopped by the crowded Apothecary to check out the supposedly amazing cauldron set. They left before purchasing anything, though, when Harry's sensitive stomach started rolling.

The ex-Slytherin watched the black haired man carefully as he took in fresh clean air; his grey eyes narrowed, trying to catch anything unusual. His unease decreased slightly when emerald eyes met his own with a reassuring smile.

"I'm all right, 'Co," Harry said, grabbing the other man's hand. "Really. It's just that the smell coming off of those pickled salamander eyes..." the savior shuddered in disgust at the mere memory of the smell.

Draco stood there, staring at his boyfriend in mild shock. "But, love, those salamander eyes were in a _sealed jar_ behind the front counter. You were at the other end of the store!"

"Well," the other man shrugged sheepishly, "The medi-wizard did mention something about heightened senses..."

The grey eyed ministry worker shook his head slowly and hugged his boyfriend. "I think that would be an understatement compared to this, love."

They shared a quick kiss, Draco's arm once again firmly attached to Harry's waist. The shorter man frowned at this. He hoped that this behavior wouldn't become a habit. This pregnancy was going to be hard enough without the blonde acting as an overzealous bodyguard. He was shaken from his thoughts by a soft warm voice speaking into his ear.

"Wh-what did you say, Draco?" Harry asked, feeling a faint warmth encircling his groin. Merlin, but was his ear sensitive! Gotta be those hormones!

"I was saying, why don't we go to Flourish and Blotts? They would probably have some books on pregnancies and what to expect," Draco said, smiling slightly. His boyfriend looked a little flustered; his ears had always been one of the shorter man's sensitive spots.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, taking a steadying breath, "That sounds like a good idea."

By the time that Harry got his body back under his control, the young couple was already ensconced in the pregnancy section of the cluttered bookstore. 'Modred and Morgan,' he though hazily, watching Draco bend over to check out a potential book. 'Those pants look perfect hugging his bum just so.' The green eyed man tore his hungry gaze off of the unsuspecting man and onto his book.

"Argh," Harry groaned aloud from his chair. Draco stood quickly when he heard this and was at the pregnant man's side in an instant.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, his pale hands roaming over Harry's chest, arms, and head. Harry pushed them away irritably.

"All of these books have _witches_ on the covers!" He complained, pointing to the smiling brunette on the cover of the book in his hands. "Why can't there be at least _one_ wizard on the cover?" To Draco, Harry looked like he was close to tears. "I thought that male pregnancies weren't all that rare. I guess I'm just a freak like always," Harry mumbled, lowering his head to hide his moist eyes.

Draco was crushed; He hated it when Harry was this upset. The blonde wizard knew that the root of his lover's anguish stemmed back to those pathetic, waste of skin, muggles he had once called a family. If Draco was ever able to lie his hands on them...But now was not the time to think about them. Dropping to his knees, Draco reached out and lifted Harry's chin. Tears started to track their way down olive skin while grey eyes watched.

"Oh, Harry," Draco sighed and gathered the man into a warm hug. "You are not a freak. You are the furthest things from a freak. You're just a normal wizard who just happens to be pregnant. Just like all of the other wizards who have been pregnant."

Harry sniffed and mumbled something into Draco's shoulder.

"Can you repeat that, Harry love?" Draco said softly. "I didn't hear you."

"You really mean that?" He repeated, looking too adorable in Draco's opinion. His emerald eyes were slightly red and his delicious red lips were forming a small pout.

"If it's possible, you just got 10 cuter," Draco said with a small laugh. "And of course I mean it!" Draco assured the man, pulling him into another warm hug. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you, too, Draco," Harry said with a soft smile and settled back into his chair. He noticed the book in the other man's hand. "What's that?"

"What?" Draco asked, and then suddenly remembered the book in his hand. He handed it to Harry with a smirk. "Maybe if you had seen this five minutes ago, it would have prevented your...um..." Draco stopped, unable to come up with a good euphemism for Harry's mood swings.

"To prevent my 'episode'?" Harry said, giving a little chuckle. He looked down at the book and laughed out loud. "Yeah, I bet this would have helped," he said, running his hand over the title of the book, So, You're Pregnant. Now What?, and over a picture of a grinning wizard with his hand over his abdomen.

"Harry? Draco? What are you two doing here?" A light, scholarly voice interrupted them. The couple turned and saw a man with warm amber eyes and slightly graying brown hair.

"Remus!" Harry said happily and got out of his chair. Draco was off of his knees and on his feet, standing next to Harry as he hugged the werewolf.

"Remus," Draco said calmly, holding out his hand.

"Draco," Remus said, shaking the offered hand. "So, what are you two doing back here?" He watched as Draco's casual smile grew until it looked like it hurt and Harry shuffled his feet and looked shyly at the book in his hands. Remus looked around at the bookshelves and realized a common theme.

"Don't tell me," he said slowly, "Harry, are you pregnant?" Remus didn't bother waiting for an answer; it was obvious with just one look at the couple's happy faces. The werewolf enveloped the pregnant savior in another hug and then hugged a semi-reluctant Draco. "How long have you known?"

"We found out just this morning in fact," Draco said, smiling down at Harry.

"That's wonderful," Remus said, clapping both men on the shoulder. "Hey, Severus would love to hear about this. C'mon. He's in the Potion section," Remus said already walking off in that direction.

"Hey," Draco whispered into his boyfriend's ear as the followed the older man, "This is your chance to tell Sev about his missing fertility potion!"

Harry gulped and clutched the pregnancy book to his chest. Sure, he and the Potions Master were on better terms now that the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice was dating his godson, but it still did not make the man any less intimidating. They stopped at the end of a bookshelf and watched as Remus approached the black haired man and whispered something into his ear.

Severus looked up at the young couple and closed the book he had been reading. Walking towards them, he said, "I suppose congratulations are in order?"

"Thank you, Godfather. We're all very excited about this," Draco said shaking hands with the onyx-eyed man.

"Are you now?" Severus asked, now shaking hands with Harry.

"Of course we are," Harry said. "I've always wanted a family and now we have one."

"Indeed," Severus drawled, "But why did you not come to me for a fertility potion? I could have given you a better price than anyone else."

Harry blushed slightly and took Remus' arm. "Hey, Rem, why don't you come with me to pay for this book?" The young savior dragged the werewolf to the front counter, leaving the two ex-Slytherins staring after them. Draco turned back to his godfather when he heard his voice.

"He took one of my fertility potions by accident, didn't he?" The black haired man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Draco answered smiling. "He thought that it was a hangover remedy. I'll repay you later."

Severus shook his head. "No need. I'll enjoy hanging it over the brat." They both chuckled slightly over the name. Back at Hogwarts, the professor had used it to humiliate Harry, but now it was used with a sort of affection.

"So, tell me, Draco. How do you feel about this pregnancy?" He asked, studying the young man next to him. The older man had no doubts that Draco loved the black haired imp more than life itself, but he did have doubts that they were truly ready for this child.

"Why are you asking me that, Severus? I love Harry and I am going to love this child."

"I do not doubt your ability to love, Draco. What I do doubt is your ability to raise and provide for a family. Are you ready to become a father? Are you ready to become a husband with duties and responsibilities?" Severus noticed the younger man's sickly look. He sighed and asked, "Draco, are you sure that you are ready for this?"

"Of course," The blonde said, nodding his head. "I _am_ ready for it." But despite his words, Draco could sense an unsettlingly feeling coil in the pit of his stomach. HE took a deep breath as the word 'husband' echoed through his head.

**A/N:** so, what did you think? good? bad? should i just delete this whole thing and never type again?? review and let me know!


	5. Author's Note & a Preview

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all. I just wanted to apologize to you guys! I know that it's taking forever for me to get this next chapter out to you. Life is very crazy right now; I broke up with my boyfriend and now my mom's in the hospital...anyways, I'm halfway through the next chapter...and with a bit of luck I'll have it ready for you guys by Wednesday...and because you guys are so cool, I'll give you a little preview!!**

HPDM HPDM HPDM

Draco Malfoy sat at their kitchen table, his forehead resting on the cool mahogany. His eyes were hidden behind pale lids and his hands were clenched tightly together underneath the wood surface. He was a man of deep thought. The deep thinker was startled by a shrill blast from the kettle; it's shriek ripping through the silence. Jumping up from his chair, Draco crossed over to the stove and took the blue ceramic piece off of the flame.

Pouring the steaming water into a mug, the blonde man pondered his godfather's words. _Was_ he ready for all of this? He did love Harry, with all of his heart. But Draco knew that that was not his problem. Dumping the soggy tea bag into the trash bin, the ex-Slytherin sat back down.

What was his problem then? That was a stupid question actually. He knew what it was, but he had no idea how to go about solving it. Draco Malfoy, a father. He laughed softly at the absurdness of the thing. Who would have thought the self-proclaimed Sex God of Slytherin would be thinking about settling down and living the family life?

HPDM HPDM HPDM

**I think I'll stop there. How is it so far? Maybe I'll give you a bit more?**

HPDM HPDM HPDM

To be honest, he already shattered that title when he started dating Harry. There was no more sleeping around for this blonde Adonis after he shared a first kiss with the green eyed man. And now, here they were. In a committed relationship with a baby on the way.

The baby...The boy or girl that was growing inside of his Harry at this very moment, even while the black haired savior slept. Could he actually be a father? Could he handle the responsibility that cam with fathering a child?

HPDM HPDM HPDM

**Okay, folks. That's all. Really. I'll have the rest for you in a few days. Thanks so much for your patience. It means so much to me!**


	6. contemplations & dinner

**Author's Note:** yay! so, here it is!! chapter 5! the one you've all been waiting for! thank you guys soooooo much for your patience. i know if it had been me, i would have been ready to throw pointy things at the author! so, read and enjoy. let me know what you think!

Draco Malfoy sat at their kitchen table, his forehead resting on the cool mahogany. His eyes were hidden behind pale lids and his hands were clenched tightly together underneath the wood surface. He was a man of deep thought. The deep thinker was startled by a shrill blast from the kettle; it's shriek ripping through the silence. Jumping up from his chair, Draco crossed over to the stove and took the blue ceramic piece off of the flame.

Pouring the steaming water into a mug, the blonde man pondered his godfather's words. _Was_ he ready for all of this? He did love Harry, with all of his heart. But Draco knew that that was not his problem. Dumping the soggy tea bag into the trash bin, the ex-Slytherin sat back down.

What was his problem then? That was a stupid question actually. He knew what it was, but he had no idea how to go about solving it. Draco Malfoy, a father. He laughed softly at the absurdness of the thing. Who would have thought the self-proclaimed Sex God of Slytherin would be thinking about settling down and living the family life?

To be honest, he had already shattered that title when he started dating Harry. There was no more sleeping around for this blonde Adonis after he shared a first kiss with the green eyed man. And now, here they were. In a committed relationship with a baby on the way.

The baby...The boy or girl that was growing inside of his Harry at this very moment, even while the black haired savior slept. Could he actually be a father? Could he handle the responsibility that came with fathering a child?

It's not like he had had very good examples to learn from. His father had never really thought of Draco as a son, but more like another soon-to-be Death Eater in need of training. In her own detached way, Narcissa Malfoy showed him kindness but nothing like the warm maternal love one would normally expect. Severus was the closet thing that Draco had to a father figure and he was not without flaws. The man's impatience and barely held tolerance for anything small and crying was not something the blonde man wanted to imitate.

The young man groaned aloud and let his head drop to the table. "I'm doomed," he muttered, propping his now slightly aching head in his hands. Looking around their sunlit kitchen, Draco wondered how much their cozy home would change when the baby came; a screaming, whining, helpless little thing that they would be in charge of. Getting up from his chair again, the tall blonde made his way to the sink, dumping his now cold tea into the sink and rinsing out the cup.

Drying his hands off on a black hand towel, he looked around. He pictured a high chair sitting at the end of the table, with a bib laying on the tray, ready for the next meal. In the dish strainer, a bright red bowl in the shape of a bear was drying off; a matching spoon still lying in the sink. Turning slowly around, his grey eyes scanned the walls, picking up small smudged handprints on the crisp white paint. There were some stains on the tiled floor around the high chair; apparently someone didn't like their mashed peas and carrots. Heading out of the kitchen, Draco walked past the refrigerator covered in crayon drawings. Stopping in the doorway, he shook his head and looked back into the room. Everything was how it was supposed to be; no highchair, no stains or smudges, no drawings hanging on the fridge.

Surprised at the twinge of disappointment in his heart, Draco continued his way to the stairs. He glimpsed at the pictures on the walls, imagining new ones hanging with the rest; ones of a little girl with his blonde locks and Harry's gorgeous eyes, or maybe a boy with his love's unruly black hair. Pausing outside of his bedroom door, the blonde man once again wondered if he would be able to take on this great responsibility.

Taking a deep breath and steadying himself for what he didn't know, he opened the door and looked in. There Harry was, sprawled out on their king size bed, snoring slightly. Draco smiled when he saw that an olive skinned hand lay resting on the savior's abdomen. Walking softly forward, the blonde wizard marveled at his pregnant boyfriend. Laying a pale hand against his lover's cheek, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. The grey eyed man lay down next to Harry, careful not to disturb him, and gently entwined his fingers with his boyfriend's, so that they both rested on the man's stomach.

Burying his head in wild black locks, Draco inhaled and smiled, snuggling into Harry. He might not be the perfect person, but he loved this man in his arms, as well as the baby growing in Harry. Closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, Draco Malfoy vowed to himself that he would be the best father that he could and provide whatever his future child would need, even if that included a ring.

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

"Harry Potter! You put that box down this bloody instant!"

Harry rolled his eyes and dumped the aforementioned box on the kitchen table. Draco came marching in from the living room, his blonde hair stuck up in different directions from constantly running his fingers through it. Something that he was doing right now, for instance.

"You know you shouldn't be lifting heavy objects, Harry love! Just ask me and I'll do it for you!' Draco said, going over to the box and opening it up.

"Draco," Harry said, trying to stay calm, "there is a total of 5 things in that box, each of which weigh less than a book. It isn't heavy." The green eyed man ran his fingers through his own hair, trying very hard to keep his composure. When the two men had woken up from their nap, they had found a letter waiting for them. It had been from Hermione, reminding them that their bi monthly dinner was going to be held at Harry and Draco's house that night. Considering everything that had been happening that day, the couple had completely forgotten. Figuring that they could kill two birds with one stone, they sent an owl back to the Weasley's telling them that there was going to be a surprise for them at the end of dinner. Now with an hour to go till Ron and Hermione came, the two men were rushing around, trying to get ready. Things would be going more smoothly, however, if Draco had not been acting, in Harry's opinion, like an overprotective mother hen.

Taking a step back from the table, Harry said, "Look, I'm going to do take a shower, okay 'Co? I'm all sweaty and smelly."

"Oh. All right," the blonde wizard said looking up from a tablecloth he had pulled from the box. "Do you need my help with anything?" he asked, already putting the white cloth down and walking towards him.

"No, Draco," Harry said firmly. He gave his boyfriend a quick kiss and headed towards the stairs.

The pregnant man could feel his lover's grey eyes on his back as he walked out of the room. He let out a sigh as he walked up the stairs. 'Merlin, I swear I'm going to end up strangling that man!' he thought to himself, closing the bathroom door behind him. Harry turned the knob in the shower and the small tiled room was filled with the hiss of running water. Quickly stripping, Harry pushed aside the curtain and watched the steam rise from the falling water. He paused, looked back at the bathroom door, frowned. Stepping into the shower, he threw out a locking charm on the door strong enough to keep any pesky boyfriends out.

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

Draco let out a long breath as the hot water pelted his back. Because of the locking charm Harry had placed on their bathroom door, the blonde man was forced to shower in the guest bathroom. Giving his hair one final rinse, the wizard turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a fluffy black towel around his waist. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized that their guests would be arriving in 30 minutes. Hurrying his shivering arse into his bedroom, he pulled up short when he noticed Harry sitting at Draco's vanity, staring intently into the mirror.

"Harry love?" he questioned his quiet lover as he walked towards the closet. Pulling out a black silk shirt, Draco put it on and turned back towards the other man. "What's wrong?"

Harry looked at Draco via the mirror's reflection. He focused his gaze back on his reflection and tilted his head to one side. "Will you still love me when I'm all big and bloated? When I'm throwing up every morning? When I start to waddle and eat weird food?" he asked seriously, his emerald gaze fixing onto Draco's grey eyes.

The taller man smiled and hugged Harry from behind. "I will always love you, Harry James Potter. No matter what you eat, how you look, and how you walk." He kissed the top of his boyfriend's messy black hair and walked to their dresser in search of a nice pair of pants. "Love, have you seen my pants? The new black ones?"

"As a matter of fact," Harry said, getting up from the mirror, "I did. They're hanging in the closet." He watched as Draco attacked the closet once again and triumphantly pulled out a black pair of dress pants. "So, how do I look?" he asked, holding his arms out to the side and giving a little twirl.

"Why do you always insist on dressing casually for everything, sweetheart?" Draco asked exasperatedly, eyeing the man's dark blue jeans and button down white shirt. Harry smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "You do look good, though." Harry was about to answer when a knock sounded from downstairs.

"Shit!" They both cursed. "They're already here!" Harry said, leaving the bedroom.

"I'll be right down!" Draco shouted after his lover's retreating back, hurriedly putting on his pants. He heard the door open and a flurry of talking voices. It sounded to Draco as if there was a whole crowd of people down there, but he knew that it was only Ron, Harry, and Hermione. That witch could talk a mile a minute when she was worked up. Slipping on a pair of black dress shoes, and after making some minor alterations to his hair, the ex-Slytherin made his way downstairs.

Three quarters of an hour later, found the four friends sitting in the living room, talking and laughing, occasionally sipping from their champagne glasses (Harry, of course, was drinking sparkling cider).

"And then she said, 'But all I wanted was to make Pudgy all clean!'" Ron exclaimed, laughing hard and wiping the tears from his eyes. The Weasley's oldest child, Kaylee, was 5 and obsessed with keeping their pet dog, Pudgy, clean at any costs. All of her attempts at doggy hygiene were always perfect material for any after dinner stories her proud father shared.

"I swear," Harry said, taking a sip of his cider, "That poor dog is going to have a panic attack any day now."

"Or at least develop a deep seated phobia of any and all cleaning products," Draco added. The group quieted down to a comfortable silence, each person lost in their own thoughts.

"So, Harry, Draco," Hermione said, breaking the silence, "What's this big surprise that you have for us?"

"Yeah, mate, I've been trying to figure it out all afternoon!" Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Well…" Harry said, exchanging a look with Draco.

"You see," Draco said, taking the savior's hand in his own, "We're pregnant."

The room was so quiet you could hear an ant screaming. That is, of course, if ants could scream.

"Y-You're pregnant?" Hermione said, looking from one man to the next. "How? Who? When?" Contrast to his wife, Ron was still sitting silently, trying to process all of this information.

Harry smiled softly. "I'm pregnant and we just found out this morning; I'm a month along. As for how…" He blushed. "I accidentally took one of Severus' fertility potions, thinking that it was a hangover remedy. Draco beamed proudly at the stunned couple and kissed Harry on the cheek.

Hermione quickly got over her shock and jumped up from her chair. "Ohh! This is so great, Harry!" she exclaimed, giving the man a hug. "I can help you every step of the way, and give you little home remedies, and, oh this will be just great!" Harry laughed at the woman's enthusiasm and patted her on her back.

"Hermione," Draco said, smiling, "If you could kindly let my pregnant boyfriend breathe…"

"Oh, yes, of course!" She said, laughing and wiping away tears. It was then that they all realized that Ron had said nothing at all about this news. The three of them turned and watched as the red head slowly shook himself, then blink. He noticed his audience and gave them all a smile.

"Congratulations, Harry and Draco," Ron said. "I really am happy for you. It's just a bit of a shock, you know? Finding out your mate for almost 14 years is pregnant…" He stood up and joined his wife. He gave Harry a hug, and shook Draco's hand. "It's getting kind of late, 'Mione. Why don't we go and relieve my mother of Kaylee and Jason, eh?"

Hermione scoffed. "Molly loves having those two over, you know that! But it is getting kind of late…" She turned back towards the expecting couple. "We'll talk later." She gave Harry a hug and whispered in his ear. "You take care of yourself, okay?" Harry nodded and got up as Hermione hugged Draco and again whispered something into his ear.

"C'mon, Hermione, I'll get you your coat," Harry said leading the way to the hallway closet. Draco made to follow them, but was stopped by Ron's large hand on his shoulder.

"Can we talk for a moment, Draco?" Ron asked, blue eyes meeting grey ones. Draco nodded his blonde head and followed the tall red head into the den.

A few minutes later, Harry and Draco were waving as the Weasley's walked beyond the anti-Apparition barriers. After the married couple vanished, Harry turned towards the house, muttering something about making hot chocolate. Draco watched him go and leaned against the open doorway, gazing out onto their dark front yard. He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself as he recalled Ron's words to him.

"_I need you to promise me, Draco, that you will take care of Harry. He's been through Hell, as you well know. He has always been the one to take care of others, while putting himself last. It's his turn to be taken care of. That job will fall to you, Draco. Please don't let us down."_

The blonde man shook his head. Why did everyone doubt his ability to care for Harry? He had already proven to himself that he could take care of Harry, now he just had to prove to everyone else. Draco stepped back into the house, firmly shutting and locking the front door. He walked into the kitchen and gathered the shocked Harry into his arms, kissing the side of his neck softly.

"I guess that's a yes to hot chocolate, eh?" Harry laughed softly, enjoying the feeling of being in Draco's arms. The blonde man smiled in answer and squeezed the man in his arms tight.


	7. frustrations and inboxes

A/N: blows the dust off her story wow…guess I've been gone awhile, huh…

**A/N****: blows the dust off her story wow…guess I've been gone awhile, huh…? hm, I guess you guys all hate me now…pouts i'm back now, though! with a decent sized chapter, too! nods brightly so…no stabbing the author, k? hopefully you guys'll read and enjoy…oh, and review, too! reviews make the world go 'round, ya know! :D**

It was three weeks after the dinner with Hermione and Ron, a Saturday morning to be precise. Sunrise had come and gone, but one young wizard was still fast asleep, his soft snores the only sound in the room. Outside, the sun rose steadily higher, throwing its beams into the room. One warm ray fell across a pale cheek, warming the skin there until the wizard moved feebly, trying to escape the warmth. One eye twitched open to reveal a soft grey color and soon both eyes were open, and his mouth stretched open in a wide yawn.

Draco Malfoy stretched, his arms reaching above his head, back arched as he came more fully awake. Relaxing back onto the bed and pillows, he reached out next to him, searching for his pregnant lover, but found nothing but a wrinkled piece of parchment. Pulling the scrap of paper to him, Draco yawned again and read the messy writing scrawled there.

'Co,

Sorry if I'm not there when you wake up. I went to practice, but I will be back soon. I hope you slept well. I love you.

'Ry

Pale eyebrows scrunched together as Draco tried to make his sleepy mind work. 'Practice?' Draco thought confused. 'Surely he doesn't mean…'

"QUIDDITCH practice!" Draco roared out loud, trying to jump out of bed, but forgetting that the sheets were still wrapped around his legs. The blonde wizard tumbled out of bed, hitting his shoulder on the bedside table. Letting out a string of swear words that would have put any sailor to shame, Draco staggered up to his feet.

He stalked to his dresser, muttering angrily the whole way. "I can't believe that idiot would go to practice! He's pregnant, for Merlin's sake! What if a bludger hit him or he fell off his broom?" He yanked open a drawer and grabbed a pair of jeans, pulling them roughly up his legs and buttoning them. His head was stuck in a t-shirt when a voice spoke from out in the hallway.

"Going somewhere, 'Co?" Harry asked curiously. He walked towards Draco, shrugging out of his jacket and throwing it on the bed. Draco's head popped out of the shirt, a furious look on his face. It was obviously an expression the young Malfoy used to intimidate, but the effect was dampened by the ruffled blonde hair sticking out in different directions.

"Yes," Draco said fiercely, straitening out his shirt and flattening his hair with shaking hands. He took a deep, trying to calm down. "I was actually on my way to the stadium to get my mentally deranged boyfriend before something terrible happened to him!"

Harry looked puzzled for a second. "What are you talking about, Draco? Nothing bad could have possibly happened to me at practice…" The green eyed man trailed off at the stormy look on his lover's face.

"Nothing bad could have happened, Harry?" Draco asked, stepping closer to Harry. "What if you had been hit by a bludger, huh? What if you had crashed and fell off of your broom?" Draco closed his tightly. 'No, I can't think of that. I can't think of Harry lying on the floor, looking like some broken doll,' the blonde man told himself. Aloud, Draco said, "What if I lost you, Harry? Or the baby?" He opened his grey eyes and locked them with the emerald green ones in front of him.

Looking like a light bulb had finally gone off in his head, Harry reached out and placed a hand on Draco's cheek. He laughed softly and Draco looked up clearly wondering what was funny. "Draco, you silly over protective man. I never set foot on the field and I was no where near a broom or a bludger, for that matter."

"But," the blonde said, clearly confused, "What were you doing at practice then?"

Harry shrugged, walking over and picking up his jacket. He went to the closet and fished out a hanger before he responded. "I guess I just missed being there, you know? I miss the action and I miss my team." Harry hung up the jacket and placed it back in the closet. Shutting the door softly, the shorter man turned and faced his lover. "I just had to see everyone again and breathe in the stadium air." Harry chuckled and hung his head sheepishly.

Draco sighed heavily and gathered Harry into his arms. "I swear, Harry love. I think I'm going to have a panic attack by the time we have this baby." Harry laughed outright and stood on his tip toes to kiss Draco on the cheek.

"Well, it would probably go by with a lot less stress, 'Co, if you'd stop being so…so…" Harry stopped, trying to find the right word.

"Insane?" Draco supplied helpfully.

The black-haired man tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess that will work!"

Draco laughed, shaking his head at his boyfriend. He leaned his head down and the two men shared a sweet chaste kiss that might have progressed into something more if an owl hadn't chosen that moment to scratch at the bedroom window. Sighing, Draco pulled himself away from his lover and went to the window, pulling it open. The owl swooped in, dropped an official looking letter on the bed and flew out the window without pausing.

Harry picked up the letter, a bad feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "It's from your work, isn't it 'Co?" He asked, turning to the man by the window, who just nodded and reached for the letter. Harry handed it over and busied himself with fixing the sheets as Draco read the message.

A frustrated sigh caused Harry to leave the sheets alone. "What is it? Do they want you to come in or something?"

"Yeah," Draco said, running a hand through his hair. "I was really looking forward to staying home today, too."

Harry grabbed his lover's arm and wrapped it around his waist. "Why don't you, then?"

Giving the waist a quick squeeze, Draco took his arm back and walked to the bathroom. "It's not that easy, Harry love." He dropped the letter on the dresser as he walked past and shut himself in the bathroom to get ready.

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

An hour and 15 minutes later, Harry was sitting in the living room alone. He sighed grumpily and glared at the clock as it struck the hour. 'I can't believe he went into work after I begged him to stay home,' he thought heatedly. Even though the young saviour understood that someone had to make the money now that he was unable to work, it still hurt to be abandoned for a job.

Recognizing that he would work himself into a funk if he stayed where he was, Harry stood up and made to move into the kitchen to fix himself a snack when a sudden dizzy spell hit him. Leaning heavily against the arm of the couch, Harry breathed deeply and tried to clear his head. After a few seconds, the spell passed leaving the pregnant man feeling shaky. He walked to the fireplace, leaning against the wall and various furniture for support, and reached into the pot on top of the mantel, with only one thought in his mind; he shouldn't be alone. There was no reason to be taking chances with his safety right now. He was sure that if he didn't call for help, and Draco found out, things would definitely get uglier than Voldemort himself.

Taking a pinch of powder from within and throwing it into the fire, Harry slowly knelt down and placed his head in the flames, calling out the first place that came to mind, "The Burrow!"

After a second of whirling flames that nearly set off the man's morning sickness, Harry's gaze focused on the cluttered living room of the Burrow. "Hello?" he called out, not really sure that he would get an answer.

"Yes, yes! I'm coming!" said a feminine voice from another room. A moment later and Molly Weasley came bustling in, an apron tied around her ample waist. Noticing whose head was in her fireplace, the woman instantly started to fret. "Harry, dear! Is everything ok? Did something happen?"

Harry shook his head slowly in an effort to keep his nausea from rising. "No, no, nothing like that, Mrs. Weasley. It's just that Draco's been called in to work and I'm feeling kind of sick. Dizzyness and nausea, you know? And I didn't really want to be alone just in case something happened."

The woman nodded wisely. "Oh yes, dear. I do know. I've been through this seven times, as you well know. Now, did you want to come here? Or do you want to stay home?" Correctly reading the apprehensive look on Harry's face, Mrs. Weasley continued, "Maybe we better not aggravate your condition with the floo, hm?"

Harry nodded gratefully. "What I really wanted was just some company, if you don't mind."

Mrs. Weasley flapped her hands like she was swatting at flies. "You know that it's no trouble, dear. Now, why don't you go lay down and I'll be with you in minute, how's that sound?" She said, smiling kindly at her surrogate son.

"That sounds perfect, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you. I'll see you soon, then," Harry said, before pulling out of the fire. He sat there in front of the fireplace for a moment to regain his bearings and then pulled himself up. He gladly dropped himself onto the couch and waited for Mrs. Weasley's arrival.

He didn't have to wait long. Fifteen minutes after he had lain down, the fire roared to life again and the woman stepped out into the living room. Dusting herself off, Molly looked around and spotted Harry on the couch.

"Ah, there you are, dear. Now, I'm going to go make you a nice cup of tea, okay? Do you feel like you can keep any food down?" She asked, leaning over him and inspecting his face carefully.

"Some dry toast sounds good, actually," Harry said absently. Now that he was laying down, it was a struggle to keep his eyes open. 'Damn fatigue,' he thought.

Mrs. Weasley walked off to the kitchen, chattering happily along the way. "I floo-ed Hermione and she said that once she drops the kids off at her parents', she'll stop by. Oh, and Ronald says hi, of course."

"Hi right back at him," Harry mumbled sleepily, content in the feeling that he was being looked after. It was a feeling he barely knew, mostly because of his stubbornness and his own feelings that he should be the one caring for others. But at the moment, the young man was more than happy to bask in this feeling. He sighed softly and drifted off to sleep.

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

In London, Draco Malfoy was nowhere near as relaxed as his lover. Pulling at his hair in frustration, the blonde man silently wished that he was able to set fire to his inbox and just walk away. 'Why in the name of Merlin's underpants do we need so many forms?' he thought mulishly, glaring at the papers spread in front of him. It was three in the afternoon and Draco could see no escape in sight. He sighed resignedly and pulled a piece of parchment towards him and set back to work. Engrossed as he was with his writing, the grey-eyed man didn't notice his office door open and then close silently. He didn't realize that he wasn't alone until a pair of boots propped themselves on his desk with a loud thunk than nearly upset his inbox.

Looking up suddenly, Draco's scowl turned into a smile. "Hey, Blaise," he greeted his old friend, Blaise Zambini who was sprawled out in his chair, his usual mischievous grin in place.

"And good afternoon to you, Draco. Love the new hair style. Going for the 'I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-then-let-a-kneazle-lick-my-hair-clean' look, now?" Blaise asked curiously, studying the other man's hair.

Draco flushed a bright pink and hastily ran his fingers through his hair. "As a matter of fact, no I am not, Zambini," he replied with a dignified sniff, going back to his work.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, man. When are you oughta here? Wanna get some food? I'm starved!"

"And I suppose you are incapable of eating without me, Blaise?" Draco asked without raising his eyes from the page.

"Yes, you got me. I can't eat unless you're in my prescence! Please Draco! I haven't eaten in weeks! I need food!" Blaise declared, sucking in his cheeks to make him look emaciated. Draco snorted and looked up at his old friend grinning.

"Will you leave me alone if I go with you?" Draco asked, holding up some papers to show how busy he was.

Blaise shrugged indifferently. "I might, I might not. Why are you even here, anyways? Don't you have a knocked up boyfriend at home, waiting for you to massage his swollen feet?"

Draco's shoulders stiffened slightly, but he kept his tone even. "First off, Harry is only about 2 months along, so he doesn't have swollen feet. Secondly, I have obligations to my job that I must fulfill. I know this and so does Harry."

"Whoa, man," Blaise said, holding his hands up in surrender. "No need to go all Ice Prince on me. I was just curious."

Draco sighed heavily and threw down his quill. "I'm sorry, Blaise. It's just that I feel so guilty leaving him to go to work. I know I probably go in more than I have to, but that's the thing! I do have to!" He dropped his blonde head into his hands and missed the sympathetic look his friend shot his way. "I'm going to be a father soon and I need to make sure we have everything we need to raise the baby."

Blaise stood up and clapped Draco on the shoulder. "Draco, we've been friends for years. You can handle this, I know you can. Now come on! Stop pulling your hair out and buy me some lunch!"

Draco looked at Blaise and seemed to understand that his friend wouldn't leave him be until the blonde left with him. Sighing again, he shuffled all his forms together, dropping them into a drawer. Gathering his bag and coat, Draco followed Blaise out of his office and towards the waiting fireplace. By the time Draco caught up to the Italian, the fire was already a blazing green and Blaise was shouting "Diagon Alley!" Rolling his neck back and hearing a few pops and cracks, Draco followed suit and watched as the green flames swirled around him.


	8. pickles and chocolate syrup

**A/N: yay! another chapter! -does a dance- happy? yes? please? -puppy dog eyes- :D anywho...it was brought to my attention that i made a mistake in the last chapter...i wrote that Mrs. Weasley had 7 pregnancies, but i was kind of forgetting about the twins...i guess that's what i get for writing at 3a! -head desk- anyways, i've reread this chapter a couple of times and there shouldn't be any mistakes like that again! -crosses fingers- so, read! and enjoy! and review! all you need is love...and reviews! :D**

Diagon Alley was bustling with activity when the two friends arrived

Diagon Alley was bustling with activity when the two friends arrived. Feeling his usual aversion for big crowds of sweaty noisy people settling in, Draco stuck close to Blaise as the dark-skinned boy led the way towards the nearest restaurant. Grey eyes narrowed critically as the men walked into the dim room.

"Why did we have to come _here_?" Draco asked, indignant.

Blaise looked back at Draco, a sly smile on his face. "Why, whatever is the matter, Draco?"

"What's the matter?" Draco hissed, "There's sawdust all over the floor and tacky stuffed animal heads hanging on the wall!"

"It's the closet place. I told you that I was starving!" Blaise said, rolling his eyes and walking to a nearby table, taking a seat. He looked pointedly at the seat across from him until Draco huffed and then dropped himself into the empty chair with as much dignity he could muster. Blaise snorted, making sure to make it as undignified as he could, and opened up the menu.

"Is there anything halfway decent here, Zambini?" Draco asked, not even bothering touching the menu. 'They probably don't even bother to sanitize these things,' he thought, curling his upper lip in disgust.

"Just stick with the turkey sandwich, Draco," Blaise's offhandedly, "And no, you're not going to contract any kind of parasite or food poisoning from it," he continued.

Draco closed his mouth and glared at the back of his friend's menu. "I wasn't going to say anything like that," he sniffed, staring mulishly at the wall next to them.

"Sure, sure," Blaise said, laying down the menu and signaling a passing waiter, who promptly came to take their order. Ten minutes later, the slightly harassed looking waiter walked quickly away from the table. "You know," the dark eyed boy said, trying to hold back a laugh, "You really didn't need to threaten the poor boy."

"I believe that I had to, Blaise," the blonde wizard said, "I don't want to be eating anything undercooked or otherwise imperfect. I don't want to bring home any illness to Harry."

"Yeah, I guess," Blaise said, already moving on from the waiter incident. "So, what are you gonna be doing about Harry?"

Draco sighed, placed both hands palm down on the table, his eyes studying the pale skin there. He looked up at Blaise with a slightly helpless look. "I have no idea." He paused and then continued. "I mean…A few days ago, I was in my kitchen, thinking about that. And I thought I had an answer. But now, I'm not so sure of myself. I know Harry loves me, but what if he thinks I'm doing it just because he's pregnant, that I'm doing it because I feel _obligated_?" His shoulders sagged slightly and Draco leaned back against his chair.

"When you're talking about _it_," Blaise said, slowly, "Are you talking about…you know? Da da da-da?" He asked, looking slight incredulous.

"Yeah, Blaise," Draco said, faintly. "I am. Can you believe it? The infamous Sex God of Slytherin, a married man with a baby on the way." He chuckled at the irony.

Blaise snorted. "Sex God?" he asked. "More like Super Slu-" The Italian was interrupted by Draco's warning glare and a waitress coming by to bring their orders. After the woman left, conversation resumed. Blaise took a big bite out of his sandwich and continued talking. "Anyways, despite your, um, _questionable_ sexual titles," he smirked, "I knew that you weren't going to be dating anyone else after The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Draco stopped picking at his sandwich and frowned at his friend. "How could you possibly have known that?

Blaise shrugged and took a sip from his glass. "I guess it was just…I don't know...It was something about how you were when you were around him. You kind of lit up whenever he was with you; and you wouldn't have been able to stop smiling if someone gave you a million galleons to do just that." Blaise gestured weakly with his hands, as if they could explain what he was trying to say. "It was just obvious, well subconsciously at least."

Draco pondered on what his friend said as they both finished their lunch. Hadn't he thought similarly back in the kitchen? Whenever he was with Harry, everything felt right and good. And even though he had never felt a missing part in the relationship, the knowledge of their growing baby seemed to fill it. Blaise signaled for their check. It came and Draco barely glanced at it as he threw some galleons onto the table. They stood and left the restaurant, with the blonde man still lost in thought.

"So," Blaise said, as they walked leisurely down the street, "A knut for your thought?"

Draco roused himself from his contemplations and focused on the outside world. "It's logical, right? That the next step would be marriage?"

Blaise thought for a moment, his eyes scanning the scenery. "It could be, but it isn't the only option. Couples get pregnant and decide not to marry, but they still end up being together. But there are plenty of couples who tie the knot; though, of course, most people expect for the baby to come _after_ the marriage."

Draco shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah well, I guess since we're already gay lovers, one more broken social norm wouldn't hurt anything." Blaise roared with laughter and clapped his old friend on the back.

"Look," he said, once his laughter quieted down. "You need to do what's right by you _and_ Harry _and_ the baby. If you feel that you can live perfectly fine without a marriage certificate, that's all well and good. But if you decide otherwise…" He trailed off, stopping in front of a store. Draco looked over to his friend and saw that they were standing in front of Barton's Jewelers. They both stood still, studying the front display room, looking at each piece of jewelry as they sparkled in the sun. Squaring his shoulders, Draco pushed open the door with Blaise right behind him.

"So, I guess that's a 'yes' to marriage?" Blaise whispered, looking around at all the glass display cases.

"Yes, I think that's quite obvious," Draco whispered back, walking determinedly to the corner where all the engagement rings were.

"I just wanted to make sure," Blaise whispered, chuckling softly. He leaned over the glass case, studying the different wedding bands on display.

"One question, though," Draco whispered, "Why are we whispering?"

Blaise straightened and tilted his head in thought. "You know, I've no idea," he whispered back.

Draco rolled his eyes and spoke normally, "See anything good?"

Blaise shrugged and went back to looking at the various rings. "All I know about getting a ring is that it should cost you about three month's salary," he said.

"That is most correct, sirs," a gentle voice said. Both men looked up and saw a short balding man standing in front of them, wearing a professional looking red robe. "I am Mr. Barton. How can I help you gentlemen today?"

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

The sun was setting as Draco walked up the front walk, one hand in his pocket toying with a small black velvet box. Opening and closing the door quietly just in case Harry was napping, Draco tiptoed down the hall and stopped at the sound of female voices coming from in the kitchen.

Frowning slightly, the blonde man peeked inside the room and was surprised to see Molly Weasley and Hermione Granger sitting at his kitchen table, both with a mug of steaming tea in front of them. The red-headed matron glanced up and caught sight of Draco staring at them.

"Oh, hello there, Draco dear! Come sit down. Do you want some tea?" Molly asked, pulling out the chair next to her and patting her hand on it invitingly. Draco rolled his eyes slightly at the invitation to tea in his own home, but took the seat she offered.

"No, that's quite alright, Molly. But may I ask what you two are doing here?" Draco questioned, looking from one woman to the next. 'Hopefully nothing happened to 'Ry while I was gone,' he thought anxiously to himself.

"Molly got a fire call from Harry earlier today," Hermione said, wrapping her small hands around her mug and taking a sip, "So we came to keep him company."

"Oh," Draco said, relieved, and settled back in his chair. "So he got lonely?"

"Well," Molly said hesitantly, "Not exactly, honey."

Draco's grey eyes widened with alarm. "What is it? What happened? Is Harry okay? Why didn't anyone let me know?" Draco's voice grew slightly more hysterical with each question and he half rose from his seat.

"No, it isn't like that, Draco. Really, it isn't," Hermione promised, laying a soothing hand on Draco's arm. She tugged slightly to get the young wizard back into his seat and, after a second's hesitation, he complied.

"Then what happened?" he asked stiffly, breathing slowly in an attempt to calm down. He reminded himself that these women were part of Harry's family and cared about the green-eyed wizard as much as he did, so he should take Hermione's words to heart.

"Harry was having some dizzy spells," Molly spoke up in a reassuring tone. "He just wanted someone in the house with him until you got home, just in case something was to happen."

"He was actually looking after himself?" Draco said a little surprised.

"Yeah," Hermione said, smiling slightly. "He was actually looking after himself; looks like pregnancy has some good influence on him." She shot a look at Draco. "Or maybe he was worried about what a certain someone would do if he didn't."

Draco smiled somewhat sheepishly and shrugged a little. "Either way, he did it." He pushed his chair back and stood. "Thank you for coming out here and looking out for him. That should have been my job." His voice had a self-deprecating edge to it.

Both women stood up and followed the young man out into the hall. "Don't worry," Hermione said, giving Draco a little hug. "It's no problem as long as someone was there to help him."

"You're right, Hermione, as always," he said, with a smirk. "Floo or Apparation?" he asked.

"Apparation,' both women said. "Harry's asleep on the couch. Best to let him get as much sleep as he can," Molly clarified. After a round of goodbyes and another 'Thank You', both women were gone and Draco was alone in his house with his sleeping boyfriend. Letting out a deep sigh, he made his way into the living room.

HPDM HPDM HPDM HPDM

The sun had disappeared behind the horizon when Harry finally woke, slowly stirring under the blanket before sitting up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around a little confused. 'How did I get in my room?' he thought. He threw the covers off him and was just getting out of bed when Draco stepped into the room.

"Harry love," he said, moving quickly to his boyfriend's side. "You're finally awake! How are you feeling, sleepyhead?" he asked, giving Harry a hug and a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm feeling better," Harry said, hugging his boyfriend back. "I guess Hermione and Molly filled you in on what happened earlier?" he asked, looking down at his shuffling feet.

"Yeah, they did,' Draco said, softly. "I'm so sorry, 'Ry. I should have been there for you! But _no_, I just _had_ to go into work!" His voice broke off and he glared at the wall, feeling quite angry at himself. Harry looked up and placed a hand on his lover's pale cheek.

"'Co, don't worry. Someone was here to help," Harry reassured him. "And if I couldn't get a hold of anybody, I would have contacted you immediately."

Draco sighed and wrapped his arms around the shorter man. "I highly doubt that, love." When Harry looked down to the floor again, he continued. "Look, I don't want to get either of us upset. How about I make you some food? Molly said you've been sleeping for most of the afternoon."

This seemed to be news to the pregnant man. "Really? I didn't know that!"

Draco kissed the man in his arms once more. "Come on then, Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you down to the kitchen and find you something to eat!"

Ten minutes later and both men were in the kitchen, Harry on a stool and Draco in front of the fridge. The blonde man was trying to reconstruct his plans for this evening. Once he and Blaise had parted ways, Draco began to envision a night filled with fancy food and maybe some adult cuddling. He had also hoped that he would be able to find enough courage to take out the ring he had bought. But Draco now felt that a nice long bubble bath and some regular cuddling was just right for his pregnant lover.

"What do you feel like having, Harry love?" Draco asked, looking over his shoulder at his boyfriend.

The other man shook his head and shrugged. "No clue, 'Co, maybe a sandwich?" Draco nodded and turned back to the fridge.

"What kind of sandwich?" the grey-eyed wizard asked.

"No clue, 'Co," was all he got in response.

And thus began the quest to cure the pregnant man's cravings.

"Roast beef?"

"No."

"Turkey breast?"

"Hmmm..no, not that."

"Chicken?"

"No, not that, either…"

"'Ry, that's all we have. Did you want to go to the store to get something?"

"No. Oh, I know what I want!"

"What?" Draco asked, closing the fridge door and turning to Harry.

"Bananas," the man said simply.

A pale eyebrow rose up in question. "But I thought you wanted a sandwich?"

"I do," Harry said, nodding.

"So, what?" Draco asked. "Do you want a banana sandwich?"

Harry licked his lips. "Yeah, that sounds fabulous!" Draco shook his head slowly and grabbed a couple of bananas and a loaf of bread. 'I guess the cravings have to start some time,' he thought to himself.

He was slicing the second banana when Harry piped up. "Could you put some chocolate syrup on it, too, 'Co? Please?" he asked. Draco nodded and went into the fridge once more. "And um, maybe some peanut butter, too?" Harry added. Draco shot him a look, but still didn't say anything. He grabbed a jar of peanut butter and spread it across the banana slices. Pouring some chocolate syrup on top, the blonde placed a piece of bread on top of the concoction and set it on a plate.

He set it down in front of Harry and got him a glass of milk to wash it down with. He narrowed his eyes as he saw his boyfriend studying the sandwich.

"Don't tell me it's making you feel sick. You said you wanted it!" Draco said, already preparing himself to clean up after a sick Harry.

"I still do," Harry said. "It's just that it's missing something." Draco didn't say a word, just stood there and waited.

A moment later, the Boy-Who-Lived slid off his stool, picked up his plate and opened the fridge door. Setting the plate on a shelf inside, he rummaged around trying to find the missing ingredient.

After another moment, Harry shut the door and walked back to his stool. Sitting down, he took a big bite from his sandwich and sighed happily. Draco looked closely at the sandwich to figure out what Harry had added. 'That looks like a…' he thought.

"Harry…" Draco said, "Did you add pickles to that sandwich?" Harry nodded happily, his mouth still full. "You made a pickles, peanut butter and banana sandwich with chocolate syrup?" Harry didn't answer, only took another big bite.

Draco watched as a piece of pickle covered in peanut butter fell onto the plate and felt slightly nauseous. 'Dear sweet Merlin," Draco thought, leaning on the counter as Harry licked pickle juice and chocolate syrup from his hand.

**A/N: awww...poor Draco! looks like he doesn't have that strong of a stomach...maybe that will distract him from that pretty ring he bought earlier...? who knows? oh wait..i do! XD keep watching for the next chapter to find out! 3**


	9. The Perfect Plan and a Scrapbook

Wednesday afternoon, four days after that eventful Saturday. Draco Malfoy was sitting in his quiet office, leaning back in his chair lost in thought. His blinds were open and the sun peered through, throwing beams of light across the room. On his desk, lying in the midst of one of those beams, sat a small black velvet box. The box itself was quite unordinary, just a small little thing. It was what was inside the box that captivated the blonde man.

For the past four days, Draco had been trying to figure out the perfect way to propose to Harry. When they had woken up Sunday morning, the Malfoy heir no longer felt his earlier idea was right. Thus began the search for the perfect plan. He had run himself in circles (figuratively, of course, since Malfoys do not run in circles) before settling with what he hoped was a good strategy.

But before he could set his perfect plan in motion, he wanted to run it by one of his oldest friends. Most wouldn't know it by looking at her, but Pansy Parkinson was a closet romantic sap; well, as sappy as a Slytherin could be, at least. She was also a perfectionist, and even though Draco was sure he thought out every detail, Pansy might be able to point out anything he might have looked over.

A group of people walking through the hall outside his office door roused the blonde from his thoughts. He glanced at his watch and sat up in his seat; Pansy would be arriving soon. He quickly grabbed the small box and set it carefully in a side drawer by his knee. Straightening his robes and letting out a small yawn, he fixed his gaze on the door. A moment later, a soft knock broke the silence and the door opened, admitting the slightly pug-like face of his long-time friend. Draco stood and walked around his desk, enveloping the woman in a warm hug. Gesturing her to the chair in front of his desk, he closed the door softly.

"It's great to see you again, Draco," Pansy said, crossing her legs and making herself comfortable in her seat. Draco offered her a rare grin and settled himself behind his desk.

"Same here, Pans. I haven't seen you in a while," Draco said, with a hint of regret in his tone.

Pansy waved her hands in a shooing motion, as if her friend's unspoken apology was a mere fly annoying her. "Don't worry, Draco. Sometimes life has a way of keeping people busy. I would have been surprised if you were still frequently out and about with a preggers savior in tow," she said, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

"You're quite right, Pansy dear. I would never have Harry traipsing about in his condition," Draco said. "How are you faring with our dear old Theodore Nott?" Pansy's smirk grew wider and she winked at her old friend. "That well, huh?" Draco asked, smiling.

Pansy nodded. "Things are going splendidly, darling. I guess arranged marriages don't always have to end in disaster," she remarked with a shrug. She tilted her head slightly to the left and added as an afterthought, "It also helps that we were dating for almost a year before the contract was made."

"Yes, I think that makes it just that much easier, Pans," Draco remarked. He opened the side drawer next to his knee. "As much as I would love to discuss all the steamy sordid details of your marriage, I confess that I had an ulterior motive to inviting you here."

Mock astonishment played over Pansy's features as she raised a hand to cover her gasp of shock. "Why, Draco Malfoy! I am appalled! You? Have an ulterior motive?!?!"

Draco rolled his grey eyes and scoffed. "Ha ha. Are you done making fun of me? I do have other engagements to attend to, you know." Pansy snickered quietly and motioned for Draco to continue. "All right then. Here it is."

He reached into the open drawer and pulled out the black velvet box and placed it on the desk between them. Pansy raised an eyebrow and reached out to touch the box. One small finger traced the black velvet. The woman shot Draco a questioning look and the man nodded. Pansy picked up the box and slowly opened it.

"Wow," she said softly. "That's very impressive, Draco darling." Pansy paused and then looked at Draco. "But you know, I'm already taken,' Pansy said with a small grin, her dark eyes laughing.

"Pansy…" Draco groaned, trailing off.

"Okay, okay. I'm serious now," Pansy swore, looking down at the ring again. "So I'm correct in guessing that this ring is for one Mr. Potter?" Draco nodded again and she continued. "Then there's only thing to say. Congratulations, Draco. Really," Pansy smiled a bright smile. "You guys will make a great family."

Draco smiled back. "Thank you. That's something I have been agonizing over for the past few weeks, actually." Pansy looked concerned, but Draco shook his head. "I'm finally gotten through that mess and I'm ready to propose."

Pansy's eyes lit up and she let out an 'oooh' of excitement. "Wonderful! When are you going to do it? Do you have anything planned out?" She stopped her questions when Draco raised his hand.

"That's why you're here, Pansy. I have a plan, but I want to run it by you to see if it's any good," Draco said, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his desk.

"Oh, well please proceed, Mr. Malfoy," Pansy said, leaning forward as well.

HDHDHDHDHDHD

Harry let out a small contented sigh as he took another sip of his hot cocoa. The black haired man was currently ensconced in a plush armchair watching as the sun started to set. He had spent most of the day at Prince Manor with Remus and Severus just lounging about and relaxing. Draco was going to meet them here later after he was done at the office. They were going to have dinner and then end the night with a trip to Diagon Alley for some coffee. The werewolf had been enjoying the scenery with him, but had disappeared a few minutes ago after telling Harry to stay where he was. So the pregnant man had stayed seated wondering what in the name of Merlin his honorary godfather was doing.

"Here we are," Remus said, strolling back into the room. Harry glanced up from his mug and frowned as he saw a large leather book in the older man's arms.

"What's that, Rem?" Harry asked, gesturing to the book. Remus settled down in the chair next to his godson and handed the book over.

"I found this a couple days ago. I had a hunch that you might like it," the amber eyed man said mysteriously. When Harry looked at the book cautiously, Remus leaned over and opened the book for him. "Go on, Harry. It won't bite, I promise," he said with a soft smile.

Harry nodded and scanned the first page. Vivid green eyes suddenly focused on a picture that was centered on the page. In the photograph, a tired looking woman was laying in a bed, her red hair escaping from a messy bun on top of her head, smiling down at a small bundle of blankets in her arms. Next to the bed, stood a man with messy black hair, smiling proudly at the woman. Harry's heart stopped as he realized that he was looking at his parents. 'This must be a wizard photo,' he thought as he watched his father reach down and take the bundle of blankets from his mum. She laid her hand gently on the bundle and smile tiredly at his dad. He bent over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then tickled the bundle of blankets. When James Potter pulled his finger away, a tiny fist was clasped around it.

Harry hadn't realized that he was crying until a small tear dropped from his cheek and landed on the corner of the picture, making a small stain. He quickly wiped the moisture away with his sleeve and looked up at Remus. The older man's eyes were watery, but he was smiling. "What…?" Harry asked, sniffling.

"Like I said earlier, I found it," Remus said in a quivery voice. "When you look through the rest of it, you'll see that it's a scrapbook. Lily…," he trailed off and swallowed deeply. "Lily started it when she found out she was pregnant with you. I thought you might want to continue it with your pregnancy," he suggested. The two men looked at each other. The tears started to fall faster from Harry's eyes and when he saw the first tear make its way down Remus' cheek, the young man flew from his chair and wrapped his arms tightly around the werewolf. His crying increased as he felt the other man's arms close around him and his tears soaking into Harry's shirt.

"Remus? What is it?" a voice spoke from the doorway, causing both men to look up, startled. Severus rushed into the room for once not caring about keeping up the indifferent Potions Master act. He knelt quickly before the two men, looking for any signs of injury. Before either men could answer the school professor another voice spoke up from the hallway.

"Sev? Where'd you disappear to?" Footsteps moved down the hall and stopped at the doorway. Harry watched through watery eyes as Draco stood and surveyed the scene before him. After a moment's silence, the blonde haired man rushed into the room and gently laid his hand on Harry's back. "What happened?"

Harry and Remus looked at each other and they both chuckled weakly. "I'm sorry, 'Co," Harry said, wiping his eyes with the hem of his shirt. "Remus was just showing me this scrapbook my mother made and I guess we both kind of lost it."

Remus nodded his agreement. "Yeah. I don't know what came over me," he shook his head and smiled when Severus rubbed his husband's back.

"I think my pregnancy hormones are rubbing off on you," Harry said smiling.

The werewolf nodded and wiped his cheeks. "I'm sorry for that little meltdown, but I thought that Harry might enjoy the scrapbook."

Both ex-Slytherines gave each other a look and hugged their respective partners. "Now that this is all settled," Severus said standing up and pulling Remus out of his chair, "shall we go enjoy the dinner that the house elves have made for us?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Harry said, easing himself out of his chair. Draco slipped his arm around the pregnant man's waist and they followed the older couple out of the room.


End file.
